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Sabres' John Scott suspended 7 games for head shot on Eriksson

Buffalo Sabres forward John Scott is used to seeing limited ice time. But now he'll do so lighter in the wallet after the NHL suspended him seven games without pay for his head shot on Boston Bruins forward

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Buffalo Sabres forward John Scott is used to seeing limited ice time as a noted enforcer on the ice.

But now he'll do so lighter in the wallet after the NHL on Thursday suspended him seven games without pay for his head shot Oct. 23 on the Boston Bruins' Loui Eriksson that left the forward concussed.

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced the suspension after an in-person hearing with Scott, who had missed the past three games on an indefinite suspension while the league decided his ultimate penalty.

"Scott cuts across Eriksson and delivers a shoulder to Eriksson's head, making it the main point of contact and causing a serious injury," said Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's senior vice president of player safety. "This is an illegal check to the head. Although Eriksson is eligible to be checked on this play, he is not eligible to be checked in this fashion."

Eriksson has missed the past three games, and there is no timetable for his return, The Boston Globe reported.

Scott, averaging about five minutes of ice time in seven games this season, was given a match penalty in the third period for the hit. He will forfeit $26,923.05 in salary.

"It is important to note that Eriksson does not materially change the position of his body -- or head -- just prior to, or simultaneous, with the hit," Shanahan said.

Continuing, Shanahan said the "onus" is on Scott to ensure Eriksson's head isn't the "main point of contact" on the hit.

Many expected the punishment to be harsher for Scott, who also was involved in a preseason incident in which he challenged Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel. But Shanahan said that Scott has recorded 217 hits in his career and has no suspension history. It also means the 6-8 Scott understands how to hit within the rules, Shanahan said.

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Brendan Shanahan, in his third year of handing out suspensions and fines, left on April 11 to become president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Stephane Quintal took over the remainder of the season and received the permanent title on Sept. 8. There were 45 players suspended and 16 fined in 2013-14, totaling 132 regular-season games, 25 playoff games and $1,751,433.35 in lost pay. A closer look:
Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports

June 3: New York Rangers forward Daniel Carcillo had his automatic 10-game suspension for abuse of officials reduced to six games on appeal. He had elbowed linesman Scott Driscoll in the face during the first period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final while trying to break free as he was being directed to the penalty box. Commissioner Gary Bettman lowered the category under which Carcillo was suspended on May 23, but said the circumstances dictated six games.
Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY Sports

May 28: New York Rangers defenseman John Moore (inset) was suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Weise suffered a concussion on the play.
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May 23: Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust was suspended two games for a late hit against New York Rangers center Derek Stepan in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. Stepan needed surgery for a broken jaw.
Elsa, Getty Images

May 12: New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was fined $5,000 for squirting water into the face of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby during Game 6 the night before. It was the league's second water-bottle-related fine in two days.
Elsa, Getty Images

May 10: Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Bollig was suspended for two games for boarding Minnesota Wild defenseman Keith Ballard in Game 4 the night before. Ballard has been ruled out of Game 5.
Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports

April 23: Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cooke was suspended for seven games for his knee-on-knee hit that injured Colorado's Tyson Barrie on the 21st. Barrie ended up missing the rest of the first-round series.
Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports

April 20: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook was suspended for three games for charging David Backes. The St. Louis Blues captain crashed into the boards and didn't return to the April 19 game.
Scott Rovak, USA TODAY Sports

April 11: Minnesota Wild winger Mike Rupp was suspended one regular-season game and three playoff games for his high hit on Blues forward T.J. Oshie the day before. Lost pay: $7,692.31.
Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports

April 6: Philadelphia Flyers center Zac Rinaldo, right, was suspended for four games for a concussion-causing hit to the head of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, left, on the 5th. Lost pay: $15,384.60.
Eric Hartline, USA TODAY Sports

April 3: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Douglas Murray (inset) was suspended for three games for an April 1 illegal check to the head that left Tampa Bay's Michael Kostka with a concussion. Lost pay: $23,076.93.
Murray by AP; Kostka by Getty Images

March 3: Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov was suspended for two games for boarding the Philadelphia Flyers' Brayden Schenn the day before. The NHL called it a retaliatory, violent check. Lost pay: $7,076.92.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 6: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers, inset, was suspended for three games for driving his shoulder into the jaw of New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus two days earlier. Lost pay: $84,615.39.
Photos by USA TODAY Sports Images

Dec. 15: Winnipeg Jets forward Anthony Peluso, inset, was suspended for three games for boarding Dallas Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski the night before. Goligoski returned to the game after getting 12 stitches. Lost pay: $8,653.80.
Photos by USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 14: Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton, inset, was suspended for 15 games for pulling down Pittsburgh's Brooks Oprik and punching him on the ice on Dec. 7. Shanahan, handing out the longest regular-season suspension of his tenure, called it an act of retribution. Thornton appealed and Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld it. Lost pay: $84,615.45.
Thornton by AP; Orpik by USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 14: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing David Clarkson was suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis' Vladimir Sobotka. Clarkson has missed 12 games this season because of suspensions. Lost pay: $128,048,78.
Tom Szczerbowski, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 9: Pittsburgh Penguins winger James Neal was suspended for five games for kneeing a fallen Brad Marchand in the head two days earlier. It's the third suspension of Neal's career. Lost pay: $128,205.15.
Jared Wickerham Getty Images

Nov. 26: Carolina Hurricanes forward Kevin Westgarth, left, was suspended for two games for a hit from behind on Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki on the 24th. Lost pay: $7,435.90
Karl B DeBlaker, AP

Nov. 14: Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri was suspended for three games for bowling over Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom the night before. His forearm hit Backstrom in the head and the goalie later left the game. Brendan Shanahan said the hit wasn't intentional but was reckless. Lost pay: $44,615.37
Ann Heisenfelt, AP

Nov. 8: Florida Panthers forward Jesse Winchester was suspended for three games for elbowing the head of Boston's Chris Kelly, who returned to the game. Lost pay: $9,230.76
Jared Wickerham, Getty Images

Oct. 31: Buffalo Sabres forward John Scott, right, was suspended seven games for his head shot on Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson that left him with a concussion. Lost pay: $26,923.05
Harry Scull Jr. AP

Oct. 28: Phoenix Coyotes center Martin Hanzal was suspended for two games for charging Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry. He was considered a repeat offender because of a May 2012 suspension for boarding. Lost pay: $75,609.76
Matt Kartozian, USA TODAY Sports

Oct. 21: New York Islanders forward Michael Grabner was suspended for two games for a head hit on the Carolina Hurricanes' Nathan Gerbe on the 19th. Lost pay: $30,769.24.
Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Sports

Oct. 18: St. Louis Blues forward Maxim Lapierre was suspended for five games for an Oct. 15 hit from behind on San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle, who was taken to the hospital. Lost pay: $28,205.15
Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images

Oct. 15: Buffalo Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta, right, was suspended for 10 games for a head hit on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson on the 10th. Brendan Shanahan cited Kaleta's long history of disciplinary cases - three suspensions, three fines - as the reason he handed out double digits. The commissioner upheld the ruling on appeal. Kaleta chose not to appeal to a neutral arbitrator. Lost pay: $152,439.00
Kevin Hoffman, USA TODAY Sports

Oct. 11: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alex Edler was suspended for three games for a head hit that caused San Jose Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl's helmet to fly off. Hertl was able to finish the game. Edler was a repeat offender, having been suspended in March for charging. Lost pay: $182,926.83
Darryl Dyck, AP

Oct. 9: San Jose Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart was suspended for three games for a shoulder-to-hit head on the New York Rangers' Rick Nash the night before. Lost pay: $55,384.62.
Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports

Sept 24: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel was suspended for three preseason games for delivering two-handed slashes twice to Buffalo Sabres tough guy John Scott during a brawl on the 22nd. No lost pay.
John E. Sokolowski, USA TODAY Sports

Sept. 23: Toronto Maple Leafs winger David Clarkson (71) got an automatic 10-game suspension for leaving the bench to go after Buffalo's John Scott, who took a swing at Phil Kessel. Lost pay: $269,230.80
John E. Sokolowski, USA TODAY Sports

Sept. 19: Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Adam Erne, left, was suspended for three preseason games for an illegal hit to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka the night before. No lost pay
Rob Foldy, USA TODAY Sports

Sept. 16: Phoenix Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette was suspended an automatic 10 games for leaving the bench to join an altercation the day before. He appealed. Based on better video, it was determined he left on a legal line change and the suspension was changed to three games. Lost pay: $11,346.15.
Matt Kartozian, USA TODAY Sports